2026-07-23 - Public Service and Transportation Committee
Summary
Met at the Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence St. (5:37 to 6:42 PM), chaired by Robert A. Bilotta with John P. Fresolo and Luis A. Ojeda. The WRTA's deputy administrator described its FY27 snow plan (clearing at all 27 WRTA-owned shelters and 18 Central Business District stops, plus contracts for snowfalls of four inches or more) and the report was placed on file 3-0. The main item was the order by Councilors Rosen, Bilotta, Bergman and King for public hearings on improving WRTA service. A Tufts University professor presented the Real Rapid Transit Coalition's recommendation for high-frequency corridors, and five residents spoke in favor. The committee adopted two chairman's orders, both 3-0: one asking the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility to work with the WRTA on rapid transit and transit signal priority on Lincoln St., Main St. and Grafton St., and one encouraging the WRTA to apply for MassDOT microtransit/last-mile and community transit grants. The item itself was held 3-0. Note the source text places the public speaker list before the minutes approval, apparently out of order.
Summary written from the official minutes; no transcript yet.
Issues discussed: WRTA Bus Service Improvements
Official Minutes
Journal of the committee as posted on PrimeGov (summary of actions, not verbatim). Page headers and footers removed.
CITY OF WORCESTER
PUBLIC SERVICE AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Worcester Senior Center
Convened: 5:37 P.M.
Adjourned: 6:42 P.M.
MAYOR
Joseph M. Petty
COMMITTEE MEMBERS CLERK OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Chairperson Robert A Bilotta Nikolin Vangjeli
Vice Chairperson John P Fresolo
Councilor Luis A Ojeda
www.worcesterma.gov
Worcester Senior Center - 128 Providence Street Worcester, Massachusetts
Present Were: Chairperson Councilor Robert A. Bilotta
Councilor John P. Fresolo
Councilor Luis A. Ojeda, who arrived at 5:40 p.m.
Also: Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility Stephen S.
Rolle
Deputy Administrator and Chief Financial Officer for the
WRTA Deputy Tom Coyne
Director of Transit Operations and Planning for the WRTA
Nick Burnham
Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
at Tufts University Justin Hollander
Student at Tufts University Emmanuel Obeng
Student at Tufts University Alexander Arditi
Student at Tufts University Natalie Olech
Deputy City Clerk Clare M. Robbins, clerk
1. Virtual Attendee Call-In Information
a. Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021 and in order to ensure active, public
engagement, the City of Worcester currently allows for both in-person and remote
participation at all City Council and Standing Committee meetings. To partake in the
meeting, you may attend the meeting in-person within the meeting location, follow the
below link to join via Zoom or dial the direct line as indicated. If you join a Zoom
meeting by dialing in with a phone number, you can raise your hand by dialing *9.
Public Service and Transportation Committee Zoom Link:
https://worcesterma.zoomgov.com/j/1613790984
Public Service and Transportation Committee Zoom Phone Number: +1 646 828 7666
Public Service and Transportation Committee Zoom Access Code: 161 379 0984
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta recognized the Deputy City Clerk, who read the item.
Councilor Bilotta then recognized the following Speakers:
1. Feanna Jattan-Singh, Worcester resident, spoke in favor of item #3b
2. Benji Kemper, (no residence given), spoke in favor of item #3b
3. Will Talbot, Worcester resident, spoke in favor of item #3b
4. Asa Reyes, (no residence given), spoke in favor of item #3b
5. Nancy Garr-Colzie, Worcester resident, spoke in favor of item #3b
2. Approval of the Minutes
a. Order - That the City Council Standing Committee of Public Service and Transportation
hereby approves the minutes of the Public Service and Transportation Committee
meeting on May 21, 2026.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta read the item and moved for a roll call vote to adopt the item.
Order adopted on a roll call vote of 2 Yeas and 0 Nays (Ojeda absent)
3. Miscellaneous
a. Report of the Committee on Public Service and Transportation Upon the Order of
Councilor Sarai Rivera and Councilor Khrystian E. King - Request Standing Committee
on Public Service and Transportation meet with the WRTA Administrator to provide
City Council with a report concerning the WRTA’s winter weather plan, especially
including information as to how snow will be removed at each of the bus stops.
# 11e Tuesday, January 27, 2026
In Committee May 21, 2026 - Held
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta read the item and recognized Deputy Administrator and Chief
Financial Officer for the WRTA, who provided an overview of the WRTA’s snow operations plan
for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27), which included snow removal at all twenty-seven (27) WRTA owned
bus shelters, snow removal at eighteen (18) bus stops in the Central Business District, and annual
contract agreements for four (4) or more inches of snow fall removal.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta discussed the twenty-seven (27) bus shelter locations with the
Director of Transit Operations and Planning for the WRTA.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta recognized Councilor Ojeda, who spoke concerning the process
used to remove snow at bus shelters and the process to report bus shelters that snow was not
removed from with the Deputy Administrator and Chief Financial Officer for the WRTA.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be placed on file.
Recommend File on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays
b. Order of Councilor Gary Rosen, Councilor Robert A. Bilotta, Councilor Morris A.
Bergman and Councilor Khrystian E. King - Request Standing Committee on Public
Service and Transportation hold public hearings, and later make recommendations,
encouraging the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) to improve bus service to
the city’s residents and businesses. Potential considerations for improvements should
include, but not be limited to, the implementation of rapid transit, route changes, a same
day paratransit pilot program, improved service times, a review of the desirability of
their hub and spoke operations and improved metrics. Participants invited to said
hearings should include, but not be limited to, local bus transit riders, the WRTA
Administrator and the Chairman of their advisory Board, representatives from the Zero
Fare Worcester Coalition, the local Riders Action Council, faculty and students in the
Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, the
city’s Department of Transportation and Mobility, the city's Commission on
Accessibility, the Worcester Department of Public Health, the statewide Transportation
for Massachusetts (T4MA) agency, MassDOT and the State Delegation.
# 13b Tuesday, January 13, 2026
In Committee March 26, 2026 - Held
In Committee May 21, 2026 - Held
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta read the item and recognized the Professor of Urban and
Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, who provided an overview of the Real
Rapid Transit Coalition’s recommendations for the WTRA to implement a high-frequency
corridor concept which would include prioritizing the blue corridor (District 3) service stop
frequency, adopting a corridor-based service to plan service stops which includes expanding the
number of high-frequency corridors, and to increase advertisements and public messaging for
such services.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta discussed locations in the city that provide services more than
every thirty (30) minutes with the Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at
Tufts University and Students at Tufts University.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta recognized Councilor Fresolo, who spoke concerning the need for
increased public messaging to promote WTRA services and shared bus routes within corridors
with the Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University and
Students at Tufts University.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta discussed the lack of high-frequency corridors traveling west in the
city and highlighted the importance of educating Worcester Public School (WPS) students of
WTRA services with the Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts
University.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta recognized Councilor Ojeda, who discussed the feasibility of
prioritizing bus routes in the vicinity of WPS schools, plans outlined in the city’s Mobility Action
Plan to increase public transportation use and to mitigate congested traffic for bus travel, and the
importance relative to educating WPS students how to understand and navigate WRTA bus routes
with the Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University and
Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta recognized Councilor Fresolo, who discussed the frequency in
which WRTA buses reach the farthest stops in each corridor with the Commissioner of
Transportation and Mobility and Director of Transit Operations and Planning for the WRTA.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta brought forth the following Chairman’s Order on a roll call vote of
3 Yeas and 0 Nays: “Request City Manager request Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility
work with Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) administrators to ensure rapid transit
and transit signal prioritization are implemented on Lincoln St., Main St., and Grafton St.”
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta recognized Councilor Ojeda, who spoke concerning feasible on
demand transit service options to improve service frequency and access with the Commissioner of
Transportation and Mobility and Speaker #2.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta discussed potential funding sources to improve microtransit
services with Speaker #2 and Speaker #4.
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta brought forth the following Chairman’s Order on a roll call vote of
3 Yeas and 0 Nays: “Request City Manager encourage Worcester Regional Transit Authority
(WRTA) administrators to apply for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)
Microtransit and Last-Mile Transit Grant Program and Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Community
Transit Grant Program.”
Chairperson Councilor Bilotta moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be held.
Recommend Hold on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays
Chairman's Orders
Request City Manager request Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility work with
Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) administrators to ensure rapid transit and
transit signal prioritization are implemented on Lincoln St., Main St., and Grafton St.
Request City Manager encourage Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA)
administrators to apply for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)
Microtransit and Last-Mile Transit Grant Program and Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26)
Community Transit Grant Program.
Transcript
Transcript pending: YouTube captions can't be retrieved yet (see the Worcester playbook).